Morningside Heights
Sculptor Greg Wyatt completed his work, the Peace Fountain, in 1985 as part of an artist-in-residence program with the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Located in the Morningside Heights area of Manhattan, this image is a common one in Roman Catholicism and Christian faiths depicting Michael the Archangel driving Satan back to Hell. In addition to this scene, the artist also incorporated celestial images, as well as seven animal figures. Though it was planned as a fountain, there is no water running at this time. This is a shame since the original planning of this water feature incorporated the movement of water as a key element in the narrative of this piece. Quoted from the plaque on the fountain’s base, “ four courses of water cascade down the freedom pedestal into a maelstrom evoking the primordial chaos of Earth.” The main piece that rises from this pool is called the ‘freedom pedestal’, which is meant to represent humanity in the form of a DNA double helix. Sealife is also depicted representing the origin of life from the theory of life emerging from the primordial soup of the sea. In addition to this thoughtful composition, nine giraffes circle the center, placed here because of their docile nature.
This is located in a recessed plaza with a series of plaques, honoring many non-Christian figures in history like Gandhi, Socrates, Einstein and John Lennon. Located at the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West 110th Street, this is a much visited and beloved landmark in the city.
2. Grant's tomb and grave
Spearheaded by Mayor Grace, shortly after General Grant’s death in 1885, he took the initiative to garner support for a large memorial and final resting place for the former President in New York City. Former president Chester A. Arthur took the lead in the project in the formation of The Grant Monument Association. One of the first large donations for the monument came from Western Union, and then after The Consumers Coal Company as well as other companies.
Mrs. Grant specified the site of Morningside Heights because it was where she and her husband planned to live, and that New York was where he wanted to be laid to rest. Shortly after her remarks, the public donations lagged because there was no model for the monument yet. Many thought it foolish to give money to a fund without a vision. A design competition was organized, with John Hemenway Duncan named the winner. The style of the building was meant to emulate the Tropaeum Alpium, and the interior was made to resemble the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte at Les Invalides.
In the 1930s, and then again in the 1970s this space was restored. This was once a place that was overlooked because of crime and graffiti, but not until the early 1990s did the site garner public support again. Frank Scaturro brought this to the attention of Congress in 1994 and then a budget was set for planning the future of Grant’s Tomb. After having the responsibility of caring for the site since the late 1950s, the National Parks Service finally placed rangers at the monument to deter vandals. The Rolling Bench, an art installation, was created by a collaboration between artist Pedro Silva and the architect Phillip Danzig.
Harlem and Hamilton Heights
3. Harlem's Fire Tower
Known as the Mount Morris Fire Watchtower, this structure is one of eleven cast iron towers. This one is the last remaining tower, based on the design by cast iron master James Bogardus. Built between 1855 and 1857, the city has built many towers throughout Manhattan in the same fashion. This tower stands inside Marcus Garvey Park, building this tower was funded by Julius H. Kroehl at a cost of $2300.
Construction of these watchtowers coincided with the completion of the Croton Aqueduct. Shortly after their construction, the watchtowers were not needed since the fire department began to use the telegraph for faster response time. In 1994 the structure was renovated for safety reasons.
4. Blumstein's
Louis Blumstein came to the United States in the late 1890s and shortly after opened his original Hudson Street store. Upon his death in the 1920s his family leveled the building in favor of a mixed design by Robert D. Kohn and Charles Butler, styled with Art Nouveau and early Art Deco details. Though this was one of the first places to employ African Americans, in low level jobs, it was noted in the New York Age newspaper that 75% of the store sales were to African Americans. Despite this, the store refused to employ them as clerks or cashiers. This fueled a boycott that forced William Blumstein to open clerical positions to the locals. Much celebrated at the time, this event inspired a victory parade of over a thousand participants.
Unheard of in this era, in 1943 Blumstein's employed the very first African American Santa Claus impersonator. They also introduced the first window displays featuring African American mannequins. It was at the store’s insistence that cosmetic companies began to manufacture products that catered to deeper skin tones. Since the store closed in 1976, a realty group has since sold off the interior space piece-by-piece to accommodate individual stores, much like a modern shopping mall.
5. Astor Row (West 130th Street, near Fifth Avenue). Rarity in Manhattan: houses with
porches.
This rare block of houses, with porches and front yards set back from the street, suffered from neglect for over half a century. Between 1930 and 1990 these gems were in severe disrepair. Now they are coveted in the Manhattan real estate market. Located at 130th Street between Fifth Avenue and Lenox, these houses are slightly attached to one another. They seem to copy the style of townhouse design seen in most southern states. A land parcel owned by John Jacob Astor, this land was purchased in in 1844 for $10,000, but the development was driven by his grandson. These homes were the very first of their kind built in Harlem. Upon Astor’s death, the houses were left to his grand daughters Mary and Sarah, as well as grandson James.
Constructed between 1880 and 1883, these buildings remained in the family until 1911, when sold to real estate mogul Max Marx. Later, new owners took over and the Brown Realty Company defaulted on their mortgages. Thought to be all but abandoned for five decades, their signature porches decayed. Later in the 1990s newfound interest peaked and the townhomes were restored. Located near Sylvia’s Restaurant, these are beloved landmarks of Harlem today.
6. Renaissance Ballroom (Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and West 137th Street)
Sadly the Renaissance Ballroom and its upper floors are slated for demolition. Though many in the neighborhood have complained about historical structures being ignored by the Landmarks Commission, many have come forward like former Mayor Dinkins in favor of a new skyscraper on the site. This is a bit of a shock since this is the venue where Dinkes married his wife, along with other historical figures associated with the Rennie (the nickname given by Langston Hughes).
Since its heyday in the 1920s, the ballroom has since deteriorated so much that interior photos show it as a breeding ground for mushrooms and the homeless. This was the background to one of Spike Lee’s pictures, using this as a backdrop for a crack den in the ‘90s era film Jungle Fever. Writer and poet Langston Hughes once said that the ballroom was ”a golden girl, in a golden gown, in a melody night, in Harlem town.”
Built in 1924, this was the premier ballroom of the Jazz Age. Like other venues, this ballroom served multiple purposes. It held a 900 seat theater and a casino. Boxing matches, special events and weddings took place here for decades. A notable site near here is the Harlem YMCA, comprised of three buildings whose members included Zora Neale Huston, Lena Horne, Mary McCloud Bethune, Eleanor Roosevelt, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and Wallace Thurmond.
7. Striver's Row (West 138th and 139th Streets, between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and
Douglass Boulevards)
These three rows of townhouses were the idea of David King, first named for him as “King Model houses”. Located between West 138th and West 139th, Strivers’ Row has had famous occupants such as Eubie Blake and Fletcher Henderson, as well as Vertner Tandy and W. C. Handy. Dr. Louis T. Wright, Henry Pace called this place home, and heavyweight boxer Harry Wills shared a courtyard with comedian Stepin Fetchit. Beloved Harlem performer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and preacher/congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. also lived here at different times.
The alleyway entrance is an iron gate with lettering on stone, telling tenants that they have to “walk their horses” through this private community. Built between 1881 and 1883 this was an affluent address. Part of the 139th Street complex was created by McKim, Mead and White in neo-Italian style. Other architects who added to the complex on 138th Street were James Brown Lord, Bruce Price, and Clarence S. Luce.
Over time, the development failed and most of the houses were soon taken over by the Equitable Life Assurance Society, the projects financier. At the time, Harlem was being abandoned by white New Yorkers who favored the suburbs of Long Island and new Jersey. Despite the great need to provide real estate to the growing professionals in the black community the company would not sell to blacks. For many years the homes sat empty. Finally, when made available to residents for $8,000 each, they attracted diligent professionals, or "strivers," who gave the houses their namesake.
8. Old Omega Oil Signs (Frederick Douglass Boulevard and West 147th and 148th
Streets)
Featured in the book Fading Ads of New York City by photographer Frank Jump, these old ads remain on the side of a brick facade at Frederick Douglass Boulevard and West 147th and 148th
Streets. Spanning four stories tall, these ads illustrate the era of the snake oil peddler and have remained for as long as anyone can remember. Claimed to be a cure all for “stiff joints, sunburns and weak backs”; this blue and gold painted ad is still strong in color as compared to other ads.
Many pharmacies sold Omega Oil along side Coca-Cola and Morphine. This harkens back to the era of the druggist and soda shoppes. A mix of chloroform, oil of wintergreen and mineral oil was a trusted remedy for multiple ailments.
9. Old Macy's Ad (West 148th Street between Frederick Douglass and Adam Clayton
Powell Jr. Boulevards)
Macy’s advertisements painted on brick were a common sight in the 1860s,shortly after the former whaling magnate and businessman Rowland Hussey Macy founded the department store. WIth the signature five pointed star as its dominant logo, one was found at West 148th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. This particular ad had typography that is definitive of the period between 1875 and 1880.
Since the building was expanded in 2005 the ad was eliminated. Though you can still find a triptych of ads for ligament oil across the police precinct parking lot. A photo and short description can be found for reference at the blog Forgotten New York. <http://forgotten-ny.com/2013/01/macys-uptown-harlem/>
10. Bunny Theater (Broadway and West 147th Street)
Sorry to report that the Bunny Theater is no more, demolished in 2009 to make way for a new glass skyscraper. Built for comic strip artist Carl E. Schultze, using his signature pen name “Bunny” and in honor of his rabbit sketches. The building had stunning details in stone, with small rabbits carved in the header. Built in 1913, the namesake of this building was mis-attributed to film star John Bunny for many years.
In the 1980s couple Adriana & Ramon Nova purchased the theater, renaming it the Nova. After their deaths, their son took over ownership. In the early 2000s the theater was gutted for a 99¢ Store, and in 2009 it was no more.
Washington Heights
11. Set of unique lampposts (Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and West 153rd
Street)
These cast iron pedestal lamp posts were recently removed in favor of modern ones in 2012. They were replaced at West 153rd Street and West 155th Street. The one at At Powell Blvd. and West 153rd was a marker for traffic directions and a designated meeting place for friends and neighbors. It is unfortunate, unlike other more affluent parts of the city, that landmarks in Harlem have been neglected and demolished for new construction.
Along the 155th Street Viaduct, from the Macombs Dam Bridge, you can still see this street lined with old time cast iron lamp posts. With L shaped arms jutting out to light the street below.
12. 155th Street Viaduct
If you reach the streets in the West 150s, you will find that Manhattan is split by a deep valley, with higher elevations on the western end. Many streets in the area are bisected by the Jackie Robinson Parkway, running parallel to Edgecombe Avenue. The 155th Street Viaduct made great use of the natural valley, not that the viaduct has been decommissioned, you will see little foot traffic up and down the service stairway.
The skyline looming above the viaduct is the the Polo Grounds Houses, a large public housing development. Originally built for carriage traffic, it measures 415 feet in length. It was finished by 1895, in synch with the completion of the Macombs Dam Bridge; with engineer Alfred P. Boller as a major player in both projects. Designed by Hecla Iron Works, The original railings remain. Helca also created the the exit and entrance kiosks for the IRT Subway in 1904. In the early 2000s this area was entirely renovated, keeping the ironwork details intact.
13. Hooper Fountain
Once a common sight, water troughs and fountains with the primary purpose of hydrating people and animals dotted all of Manhattan. Before 1910 the city was run on real horsepower, an initiative spearheaded by ASPCA representative Edith Bowdoin placed many troughs around the city. One of which is located at Grand Army Plaza, near the entrance of Central Park.
The Hopper Fountain is unique with a large column topped with a non-functional lantern and weather vane. Upon the death of John Hopper, advertising agent and amateaur historian, he dedicated $10,000 to construct two fountains "in each of the cities of Brooklyn and New York...whereat man and beast can drink." Built in 1894, the fountain has a large round horse trough, a carved pedestal with drinking fountains for pedestrians, as well as smaller animals like cats and dogs. Cats were essential to the population control of mice and rats during this era, and were usually cared for by police and locals.
Somehow the main column was broken in half in the 1980s. When the 155th Street Viaduct was restored, the salvaged fountain elements, were restored as well. Police horses traveling uptown in Washington Heights could rest and rehydrate here.
14. Audubon Terrace Historic District
A stunning complex of eight Beaux Arts buildings comprise the area known as the Audubon Terrace Historic District. The buildings house various museums and important cultural collections. The buildings take up the better part of a full city block, in two straight rows facing each other. There is a brick plaza for foot traffic only. A protected site on the National Register of Historic Places; the area was home to the American Geographical Society, the American Numismatic Society, the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation, the Hispanic Society of America, the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Church of Our Lady of Esperanza.The first three organizations have relocated, and the Hispanic Society of America was in the process of expanding as of 2006.
John James Audubon has been laid to rest across the street from the site, the famous naturalist for which the complex takes its namesake from. Built in 1907 with the funding from Archer M. Huntington, heir to a fortune made from the railroad business, he devoted much of his fortune to charity and not-for-profit organizations. Architects employed on this project were the best-of-the-best, such as Cass Gilbert, Stanford White, and Charles Pratt Huntington. Later two buildings were added in the 1920s-1930s, housing the Academy of Arts and Letters. To honor Spanish knight El Cid, a sculpture was commissioned from the well known artist Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1927.
Audubon Ballroom can be found at Broadway at 165th Street, best known for the assassination of political organizer Malcolm X on February 21, 1965. Originally built and owned by William Fox in 1912, who would move on to found Fox Film Corporation, he hired architect Thomas W. Lamb. Amidst the facade are foxes placed between the second floor windows, to indicate the owners namesake.
At various times the building served the community as a vaudeville house, a movie theater, and a meeting hall. In the 1930s the Congregation of Emes Wozedek used the space to hold religious services, later buying the building outright and remaining as the primary occupant until the early 1980s. In 1992 Columbia University announced plans to demolish the building, but in a compromise the University restored a portion of the original façade and built a museum inside to honor Malcolm X. In 2005 the University announced the opening of the museum, and dedicated the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center.
Currently known as the United Palace Theater, this is the original Loew's Theatre. Today it is a church and live music venue, located at 175th Street and Broadway. The design of popular architect Thomas W. Lamb, it was built as one of the Loew's Wonder Theatres for vaudeville and movies. The first screening took place here in 1930, with a colorful description by the AIA Guide to New York City as "Cambodian neo-Classical”. A mashup between heavy classical Byzantine elements and neo classical Romanesque style.
15. Morris–Jumel Mansion and Sylvan Place
The oldest private family home in Manhattan, the Morris-Jumel Mansion was built for British Colonel Roger Morris in 1765. Used as a Summer home for the Colonel and his wife Mary Philipse Morris, this structure is definitive of the Palladian style of architecture. Between September and October of 1776 George Washington’s troops overtook the mansion as their temporary headquarters during the Battle of Harlem Heights, though they had to succeed to British forces and Hessian mercenaries. In 1790, now President Washington had the honor of dining here with Vice-President John Adams and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Secretary of War Henry Knox.
Later, in 1810 Stephen and Eliza Jumel purchased the mansion, re-decorating in what we now call “Tiffany Blue”. Much of the furnishings came from the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The couple’s wealth came from Stephan’s trade as a wine merchant in Haiti. Upon his death he left his fortune and the house to his wife. Eliza Jummel is probably best remembered as the wife of Aaron Burr, an infamous character in history. Eliza re-married a little over a year to the date of her first husband’s death. Although she and Burr divorced shortly after, because Burr had misused her money in failed land speculation enterprises.
In 1894, long after Eliza’s death, General Ferdinand P. Earle bought the mansion. Eight years later he sold the property to the City of New York, for historical preservation of the site. Shortly after the mansion was made into a museum, and remains open to the public to this day. English royalty such as the Queen herself have visited, as well as countless tourists and school children. Exhibitions vary from historical items to fine art shows. The museum is open everyday from 10am to 4pm, though on Monday and Tuesday the mansion is open by appointment only. You can get here two ways; directly at 65 Jumel Terrace, a short block found between West 160th & West 162nd Streets, or at Sylvan Terrace (which follows St. Nicholas Avenue and leads to the entrance).
Tricky to find, there is a stone wall with a small staircase amid strip mall store fronts. You will find a cobblestone path with original 19th century row houses on each side. This is the original carriage path that would have brought homeowners to the door of the Morris-Jumel Mansion. James E. Ray was the developer who originally built the row houses in the 1880s. In the 1960s the area had been run down and covered with the quick fix of aluminum siding. But by the 1970s the area was a part of a newly designated historical district; allowing for funds to be devoted to renovating the facades in their original yellow, green and brown colors.
16. Little Red Lighthouse
Originally known as the Jeffrey's Hook lighthouse, it was erected in 1880 and moved to its current site in 1921. Best remembered as a children’s literary landmark, the book “The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge”, by Hildegarde H. Swift with illustrations by Lynd Ward, was published in 1942. This fictional account of the lighthouse garnered great popularity, and when the lighthouse was in danger of demolition the public opinion swayed the parks department to relocate it. It had formerly had stood as the North Hook Beacon at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, from 1880-1917. Today it is the centerpiece of the fall festival at Fort Washington Park, the Little Red Lighthouse is just below the George Washington Bridge and a welcoming site to tourists and native New Yorkers alike.
Inwood
17. Inwood Hill Park
A unique site, where else could you play golf and see the same land where prehistoric Lenape Indians roamed. It is a widely accepted account of the purchase of Manhattan Island; that under a tulip tree in the park Peter Minuit, Director General of New Netherland, traded with Native Americans to acquire the island in 1626 for the Dutch West India Company. Though the original tree was felled by a storm in the 1933, a marker stands here known as Shorakkopoch Rock.
A small pentagon walled with dirt stands slightly north from the center of Inwood Hill Park, known as Fort Cockhill. This was one of many forts built in New York by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. This park was formerly an affluent area where many of the city’s elite had summer homes, such as Macy’s co-owner Isidor Straus. At one time an orphanage also stood within the park’s borders.
Today, the park is best known for it’s inter-city Spanish league baseball games, held here every year. Inwood Hill Park contains three children's playgrounds, baseball and soccer fields and tennis and basketball courts. THis park also hosts the local headquarters of the Urban Park Rangers.
18. Seaman-Drake Arch
The only remaining evidence of the 1850 mansion, this was a part of the summer home of the Seaman family. It imitated the Arc de Triomphe as a near perfect replica. In what is now known as Inwood Hill Park, the area held many mansions used only in Summer months by the affluent of Manhattan. Today it is nearly eclipsed by shops, allowing vandals to deface the arch by way of rooftop access.
The original mansion was so large is was deemed comical in it’s day, earning the name “Seaman’s Folly”. Over the years it has served many purposes; 1897 the Suburban Riding and Driving Club held meetings in the main house, 1905 the property was purchased by building contractor Thomas Dwyer. Dwyer is best known for his work on the Soldier’s and Sailor’s Monument as well as part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dywer considered this his primary residence, but used the arch as his workshop and place of business. In 1909 the building held Women’s Suffrage meetings.
The main house was demolished to make room for the Park Terrace Gardens in 1938. Since a fire broke out in the 1970s, leaving the roof of the arch exposed, the remaining structure has been slowly crumbling ever since. There are various civic groups interested in preserving what is left, but no action has been taken yet. Visit this structure while you still can, it can be found between two buildings on the West side of Broadway near 215th Street.
19. Marble Hill
One of the earliest areas settled by the Dutch; in 1646 Governor Willem Kieft signed land over to Mattius Jansen van Keulan and Huyck Aertsen The area of their original farm created the border of the Marble Hill neighborhood. Marble Hill is legally defined as a part of the borough of Manhattan. The re-routing of the Harlem River created the division that confuses most people, many consider the neighborhood a part of the Bronx, not Manhattan. Understandably so, since it is part of two of the Bronx's Community Board Districts. Broadway is the area’s primary street.
There were two old bridges here, that served as main escape routes during the Revolutionary War: the Kingsbridge, which was constructed in 1693 by Frederick Philipse, and the Dyckman Bridge constructed in 1759 by Jacobus Dyckman and Benjamin Palmer. Both are no more since they have been covered over with landfill. At 210 West 230th Street on the southwest corner of Broadway and 230th is a plaque designating the area as the site of the Kings Bridge. At the very beginning of the American Revolution, the Continental Army built a fort on Marble Hill. By November 1776, the fort had been taken over by hired guns on the side of the British.
You can find the site of the tavern operated by the Dyckman family called the Black Horse Inn, located just south of McGowan’s Pass in what is now East Drive of Central Park, near 102nd Street. After the war the tavern was sold to the Hyatt family, and remained in their care until 1807, when it was leased to James Devoe. A few years before the 1917 demolition, the tavern also served as a hotel.
Today the area is best known for the Marble Hill Playground, which is located on Marble Hill Avenue between 228th and 230th Streets, and John F. Kennedy High School. The school was built in the former riverbed on the western side of Marble Hill. It has been in continuous operation since 1970. Another landmark is St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, and the very first IRT Subway line on an elevated track was constructed here.
20. Highbridge Park
Highbridge Park is bordered by West 155th and Dyckman Streets, Edgecombe and Amsterdam Avenues. Named for the city’s longest standing bridge, the Highbridge was re-dedicated in 2008 and is Manhattan’s oldest bridge still in use. The park itself was put together by land sales and abandoned parcels between the 1860s up until the 1960s. Some structures were condemned, allowing the city to take over such properties.
Because of the haphazard assembled properties over time, the park offers sprawling views and long meandering pathways to the north and south. This is a popular place for rock climbers because of large natural cliffs and rock formations. There are also seven playgrounds and baseball fields and basketball courts, making this a popular place in the summer. The park is also a big attraction because of the Highbridge Recreation Center and Pool, built in the 1930s.
The Water Tower overlooks the outdoor pools, it is a large structure made of stone. The interior is equally impressive with a spiral wrought iron staircase. The entrance is framed by a stone arch, allowing visitors access. Built in 1872, it was used to equalize water pressure from the Croton Aqueduct. There are great views of the Harlem River and the Major Deegan Expressway.
